


Give a Little

by clizziem



Series: Don't Smile at Me [13]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Mostly comfort this time, So is Mai, Ty Lee is an angel, hinted at - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28622073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clizziem/pseuds/clizziem
Summary: Ty Lee throws her duffle bag over her shoulder and pulls her phone out of her jacket pocket. A message flashes across the screen from Azula.Can I come over? I need to get out of hereTy Lee sees another notification from her sister Lysa saying that she’s waiting in the parking lot. She quickly messages Azula to say that she’ll pick her up soon and rushes out of the locker room. She finds Lysa’s car and jumps into the passenger’s seat.“Practice go well?” Lysa asks. Ty Lee fiddles with her phone case and sees the message Azula sent back to her.Thanks. It’s the anniversaryTy Lee and Mai take care of Azula
Relationships: Azula & Mai (Avatar), Azula & Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai & Ty Lee (Avatar)
Series: Don't Smile at Me [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2079291
Comments: 10
Kudos: 236





	Give a Little

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! This is really short but I think it's cute and a nice break from the angst. I don't really ship Ty Lee and Azula but if you wanna interpret this like that go for it. I do firmly believe there's no way Azula's straight. And this is my little world so there :)  
> Enjoy!

Ty Lee throws her duffle bag over her shoulder and pulls her phone out of her jacket pocket. A message flashes across the screen from Azula.

_ Can I come over? I need to get out of here _

Ty Lee sees another notification from her sister Lysa saying that she’s waiting in the parking lot. She quickly messages Azula to say that she’ll pick her up soon and rushes out of the locker room. She finds Lysa’s car and jumps into the passenger’s seat.

“Practice go well?” Lysa asks. Ty Lee fiddles with her phone case and sees the message Azula sent back to her.

_ Thanks. It’s the anniversary _

Ty Lee’s stomach goes cold as soon as she remembers what that means.

“Um, yeah. It was fine. We need to go pick up Azula,” she says. Lysa raises an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“She says she needs to get out of her house. It’s...a bad day for her brother and she’s having a hard time, too.”

Lysa scoffs. “Figured Zuko’s depression would drive her nuts eventually,” she says. Ty Lee winces at how cold and condescending she sounds. Ty Lee has only recently learned some of the horrific stuff that was going on in Azula’s house. She knows that Zuko was going through something worse than depression.

“Yeah, something like that,” Ty Lee says out the window.

Azula climbs into the back seat and wipes her eyes. Ty Lee unbuckles her seatbelt and crawls into the back next to her friend.

“How is he?” Ty Lee murmurs. Azula drops her head onto Ty Lee’s shoulder and shakes her head.

“It’s been bad all week but...he couldn’t even recognize me this morning. I asked his friends to come help but…” she trails off. Ty Lee puts her arm around Azula’s shoulders.

“I’m so sorry,” Ty Lee says. “But they’ve been really wonderful for him. I bet they’ll get him out of this episode.”

“I hope so,” Azula mumbles. Ty Lee pulls her phone out and finds her texts with Mai

_ Can you come to my house? Azula’s having a rough day _

The reply is almost immediate.

_ yes, give me ten minutes _

“Mai’s coming over,” Ty Lee says for Lysa to hear. Azula smiles and directs her gaze back out the window.

The rest of the drive is quiet, but Mai is sitting on the front steps when Lysa pulls into the driveway. Azula and Ty Lee file out of the car and Azula runs into Mai’s arms. Ty Lee smiles to herself when Mai returns the hug wholeheartedly. She doesn’t normally like showing affection.

“Scar day?” Mai asks. Azula pulls away and rubs her eye.

“Yeah. It’s...worse than usual.”

Mai nods and lets Ty Lee lead them inside. It’s been a while since they had to take care of Azula. Since Zuko got his scar, Azula’s been too busy taking care of him to take any time for herself. Ty Lee knows she’s needed help for a long time, but Azula never said anything.

So she tried to do little things.

Ty Lee made sure to text her every day and spend as much time with her in school as she could. She tried to come over sometimes but it was hard to be invited to Ozai’s house.

Mai had tried too. She texted their group chat more. She even tried to crack into her sense of humor for Azula.

Ty Lee knows it was probably useless, but she hopes it helped even a little.

They head down to the basement and Azula crashes onto the couch.

“I’m not awful for having to take a break from trying to help him, right?” Azula asks into the cushions. Mai flops down next to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.

It looks awkward, but it’s meaningful.

“Of course not. It shouldn’t even be your job.”

“Mom made me promise I’d look out for him,” Azula says.

“Right. When you lived with Ozai,” Ty Lee says and sits on the floor. “But you’re with Iroh now.”

“Maybe,” Azula mumbles and rolls onto her back. “But we’ve only been here six weeks. He’s not used to it yet.”

“Used to what? Iroh?” Mai asks.

“That,” Azula says. “And not getting beaten every second of his life. He’s not convinced he’s safe yet.”

“What about you,” Ty Lee asks. “Are you convinced you’re safe?”

Azula drags a hand down her face. “I  _ was  _ safe at Ozai’s house, that’s the thing. I know Iroh’s not going to hurt me. If my dad didn’t want to hurt me, why would my uncle?”

“Ozai may not have abused you like he abused Zuko,” Mai says. “But you certainly weren’t safe there.”

“Mai’s right,” Ty Lee says and takes Azula’s hand.

Azula sighs but squeezes Ty Lee’s hand. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Fair,” Mai says and sits cross-legged on the couch. “Do you want to be distracted?”

“Yes please.”

Ty Lee bites her lip in thought and then grins. She pops up onto the couch and holds out her phone. “Want to judge the boys on my Instagram feed?”

Azula cackles and Mai flops over Azula’s body and twists to look at Ty Lee’s phone screen.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Ty Lee has been collecting cringey hot boys on Instagram since she first downloaded the app. She’s not attracted to them, but she likes to make fun of them. She honestly doubts Mai or Azula is attracted to them either, but they also have fun poking fun at grown men who think they’re hot.

“You could grate cheese on his abs,” Azula giggles, pointing at some guy without a shirt on.

“I bet he’s gay,” Mai says with a deadpan. Azula sends her a look. “What? He has a vibe.”

“I have to agree,” Ty Lee says and pulls up the guy’s profile. She scrolls for a second before finding a photo of him kissing another man on a mountain. “Hey! Good eye, Mai.”

“My gaydar is never wrong,” Mai says. “I even guessed right about Zuko.”

Azula laughs again and then her phone pings. She picks it up and sighs. “Thank God,” she mutters and starts typing.

“What?’ Ty lee asks.

“Katara texted me. Zuko’s calmed down. He’s taking a nap with Sokka but he said he was feeling a little better.”

“Oh, good,” Mai says.

“Yeah,” Azula says and drops her phone on her stomach. “I don’t think I’m ready to leave yet.”

“You can stay as long as you need,” Ty Lee says and gives her a hug. Azula giggles and leans into the contact for a second.

“Thanks,” she murmurs, and then Mai rolls her eyes and joins the hug.

“We got you,” Mai adds quietly.

They stay like that for a little while.

Then,

“Can we watch that true crime channel for a bit?” Azula asks.

“Fuck yes,” Mai whispers, and Ty Lee rummages for the remote for a little.

“Absolutely,” she says and turns the TV on.

Iroh comes to pick Azula up about two hours later. Zuko’s in the passenger’s seat and he gives Mai and Ty Lee a shy wave when he sees them. Ty Lee waves back with a smile. 

He looks so much better than he did the last time she saw him.

He looks tired, but he’s clearly been eating more and his skin isn’t mottled with purples, blacks, and blues.

Azula gives Mai and Ty Lee one last hug and whispers, “Thank you,” before running off to get in Iroh’s car.

“I should head back home, too,” Mai says. “But we should have her over more. Or go over there more often. Now that Ozai’s not in the way.”

“We should,” Ty Lee agrees. Mai nods and then starts walking home. She only lives a few blocks away.

Ty Lee sighs and goes back inside.

It’s been a long time since she could properly be there for Azula.

But she’ll make up for lost time now.

**Author's Note:**

> I have another part planned so stay tuned if you want to.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
